How women are reimagining local government, one race at a time, and the best ways to get involved (even if you don’t want to run).
When you hear the word “politics,” chances are your mind goes straight to Washington. But this week on the HerMoney Podcast, we’re zooming in on the real action: local politics. In other words, the grassroots revolution is happening in your own backyard. And it’s largely being led by women.
This week, Jean Chatzky sat down with Amanda Litman, co-founder of Run for Something and author of: “When We’re In Charge,” and Sarah Pierce, HerMoney’s own managing editor, and the first-ever female mayor of Watertown, New York. They’re leading this movement from the inside and redefining what it means to lead, to run, and to win.
How to Become a Politician Without Traditional Experience
Jean Chatzky: Amanda, for people who are listening and thinking, I’d really like to do this, but I don’t know if I have time to take on the job of mayor. That sounds big. What are some good places to start? And is self-selection for this kind of role enough? In other words, if you want to run for local government, is that enough to say you should run?
Amanda Litman: It’s the first step. Nobody is born a politician in the same way nobody’s born an artist or a musician. The way you become one is by doing the thing. You become a politician by putting your name on the ballot, running for office, talking to voters, being on the ground, connecting with people, and hopefully winning.
Amanda Litman: It is definitely not too early to get started, and it’s almost certainly not too late in basically every place at this point in the year. You can absolutely do this. And here’s the thing: if you don’t self-select, someone else who might not care as much and might not be as compassionate, might not be as good a listener or as hard a worker. They might get into it, and you’re going to wish that you had been there to fight back.
What It’s Really Like to Be a Mayor and a Mom
Jean Chatzky: Sarah, as you try to toggle between being the mayor of Watertown, which is a part-time job, working for HerMoney, and being a mom, how do you lead?
Sarah Pierce: It’s all about two things: boundaries and priorities. The mayor is part-time, and one of the benefits of that is it’s very flexible, which is conducive to having other things going on, namely a career, and raising my daughter. My phone goes on do not disturb mode at 6:00 PM because that’s my time with my daughter, and I feel like the more you can focus on doing that one thing in the moment, the better you are at it.
And then, of course, priorities. My allegiances are to the city of Watertown, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t necessarily pay the bills. So I do give it 110% and do my best, but I have to be mindful that I have a family at home that needs my attention, and I have a job that requires my attention as well.
Get Involved in Local Government (Even If You’re Not Running)
Jean Chatzky: For women who wanna make a difference in their communities, but don’t necessarily want to run for office, where do they start?
Amanda Litman: I’d say get involved in a local campaign. The smaller the race, the deeper your impact can be. Go to the local school board, city council, or state legislature. Get involved, get to know folks, and build those relationships at work and outside of it.
Sarah Pierce: There are a lot of great opportunities for women to get involved at the local level. Offices and campaigns are always looking for volunteers, and then also just check with your local municipality to see what kind of opportunities they have to get involved all the time. At least here in the city of Watertown, we’re looking for people to serve on different boards, commissions, and a lot of people don’t even know that those opportunities exist. That’s a great way for women to make a difference and get their foot in the door.
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